N’Zerekore and Yomou prefectures

Children's club receiving study books from Plan

The Zalikwele zone is located in the south of Guinea in the forest region, 1,000km from the capital Conakry. It is composed of 2 prefectures (N’zerekore and Yomou), and the Guerze form the majority ethnic group.

90% of the population are peasant farmers, and with income less than US$196 per person per year, they live well below the international poverty threshold.

Plan Guinea started its activities in Yomou in 1998 and in N’zerekore in 1999. We work with the children, their families, communities, local government and other partners to implement our programmes.

This community approach is based on children’s rights. Projects are communities’ property - each one has a management committee composed of 4 members (at least 2 women) chosen by community members.

Programme highlights

Community health

In Zalikwele, Plan Guinea is increasing community knowledge and interest in safe sexual and reproductive health and the prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted illnesses through awareness-raising activities.

We also work with communities to build and equip health centres to facilitate access to health services, safe drinking water, and improve hygiene.

Quality primary and secondary education

Plan Guinea is working to give young girls and youths in the rural communities a better education. We also work to improve the learning environment by helping build new classrooms in primary and secondary schools and equipping them with school benches. Latrines and water points are also constructed.

In addition, Plan Guinea:

• trains teachers
• provides grants for girls that have graduated from primary school to help them in to secondary school
• provides school materials, such as textbooks.

Child protection and participation

Children’s clubs and associations are trained on child rights and help promote them through the radio programme ‘La Voix de Finda et Alpha’, Plan Guinea’s Kids’ Waves project.

They also write letters to sponsors and celebrate child events, participate in vaccination campaigns and the distribution of impregnated mosquito nets to protect young children from malaria.

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